Queensbury 12 Vs Brighouse Rangers 14

Queensbury 12 Vs Brighouse Rangers 14

Tryscores – Andrew Esmond (Brighouse Sports Ladies Football Club)
Cameron Bailey (LR Plumbtech)

Conversions – Karl Frankland x 3 (The Prince Albert “Pop Inn”)

Players of the Match,
1st – Charlie Walker (Securimax Ltd)
2nd – Cameron Bailey (LR Plumbtech)
3rd – Will Clerehugh (Charlotte’s Driving School)

Rangers notched up their first win of the season in a gruelling battle up at a windy Queensbury on Saturday, In a tense encounter that could have gone either way. Queensbury was boosted by some seasoned big forwards, including recent ex-Bradford Bulls prop Steve Crossley, but the Rangers pack stood up and edged things in the middle, providing the platform for the win. Rangers opened the scoring, playing with the slope, in the 14th minute, Karl Frankland (The Prince Albert “Pop Inn”) slicing through the defensive line, linking up with Matty Bailey (OvenU) who then found Andy Esmond (Brighouse Sports Ladies Football Club) in support for the centre to score out wide, Frankland converting to go 6-0 up. That lead was extended on 30 minutes, Adam Hirst (AJ Gastech) off the bench producing another piece of magic, dummying, dancing, bumping off defenders and finding an exquisite pass to a marauding Cameron Bailey (LR Plumbtech) who dotted down, again, Frankland adding the goal to take the Rangers 12-0 up. On the cusp of halftime, Queensbury hit back with a good try, scored by their right winger, who was a constant danger all afternoon scoring out wide, with the teams going to the break with Rangers 12-4 up.
Queensbury now with the slope advantage, must have fancied their chances, especially after 50 minutes when they scored on the right flank yet again, the conversion making it 12-10, but Rangers had other ideas. Robust defence, and hard yards made in the middle were order of the day. Massive credit to youngsters George Bannister (The Bannister Family), Archie Cresswell (Available to Sponsor), Jason Mcculloch (ShiftHero), the Bailey twins and Gav Midgley (AJ Gastech), who had even run a half marathon in the morning as his warm-up, for winning the arm wrestle in the middle. Their efforts highlighted when Queensbury got over the line, stopped only by a four-man tackle ensuring the ball couldn’t be grounded, and at the other end, Will Clerehugh (Charlotte’s Driving School) was stopped only inches short of the home side’s line, but the deadlock was broken with only 7 minutes remaining, a goal line drop out from Rangers catching the wind and travelling some twenty meters sideways went straight out, an easy penalty bringing the sides level at 12 apiece. Frankland’s agony soon turned to ecstasy, Queensbury conceding a penalty straight from the kickoff, Frankland showing all his experience by nailing a tricky attempt at goal in the gale force wind to restore Rangers’ lead with little time left on the clock. The last few minutes seemed to take an eternity, but the Ranger’s grit and determination saw them through to the end sealing their first league points of the campaign. Queensbury deserve credit for their efforts in making this first fixture a tightly fought battle, we wish them well for the rest of the year.

Speaking to Head Coach Terry Moon after the game,
“After last week’s disappointment in the cup, it would have been very easy for the boys to roll over and feel sorry for themselves coming into this weekend’s game, But to my delight, they did the opposite turning up to training midweek in good numbers and producing what was probably our best session of the year, We came to Queensbury ready to go and I believe that showed today”

“We had to spend large periods of that game defencing our line from some very sizable forwards so to come away not only with the result in hand but knowing that they didn’t break us down the middle, Is a double result for me that we will be looking to build on in the coming weeks”